The Domain Name System (DNS) is a hierarchical naming system for devices and services participating in communication over the Internet. Generally, the DNS associates a variety of information with domain names assigned to participants on the Internet. The DNS also translates formats that are meaningful to humans into binary (machine-based) formats for purposes of locating and addressing devices/services over the World-Wide Web (WWW). Essentially, the DNS is analogous to a traditional phone book that translates device/service names (e.g., www.mydomain.com, etc.) located over a networks into Internet Protocol (IP) addresses (e.g., 111.11.111.111, etc.).
The DNS makes it possible to also assign domain names to groups of Internet users in a meaningful way that is independent of each user's physical location. So, WWW Uniform Resource Locator (URL) hypertext links and Internet contact information can remain consistent and constant even if the current Internet routing arrangements change or even if a particular user switches to a mobile device.
A DNS service is an infrastructure service that is often critical to communication functions of an enterprise. This service has to be highly available for enterprise user's to connect (24 hours a day and 365 days a year) to the network. Clustering techniques enable services for high availability by creating clusters of each service and its capabilities. However, not all enterprises can afford to invest in needed cluster hardware (Storage Area Network (SAN)) and expensive software (Internet Small Computer System Interface (iSCSI)), which supports clustering approaches.
Thus, what are needed are improved techniques for making a DNS service highly available, where those techniques do not require a cluster-based implementation or approach.